Crossing the Line
by Sera Ash
Summary: M!Smug/Corso. This is M/M slash - please don't read if it's not your thing! Rated M for the last chapter. Corso Riggs meets a hotshot smuggler captain and finds that he likes men who look good in tight pants. Apparently not complete yet!
1. Chapter 1

_M/M slash in later chapters. Please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for **clicketykeys** but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. This is from Corso's POV._

* * *

I'm on the ridge above the landing pad when the freighter comes screaming in. The ship dodges a volley of fire from one of the Separatist guns and banks into a tighter turn than I thought possible. Whoever 's piloting her is blasted good. I shade my eyes with one hand and recognize her as one of the XS stock light freighters. This must be Skavak's smuggler. He said he was expecting a delivery today.

I track her with my eyes as she swoops down to the landing pad. Even from here I can hear the clunk of her landing gear locking into place. She's coming in fast, but the pilot keeps it together and drops her dead centre on the pad. I can see Skavak lounging against a wall nearby as the pilot cuts the engines.

In the silence after the engines power down, the deep _whud-whud-whud_ of artillery fire is very loud. The big turrets from the Fort are raking the no-man's-land in front of the durasteel walls. The Separatists must be trying another push at the Fort. I shake my head. The blasted Seps should just give up. A lot of innocent people are suffering for their stupid war.

There's a sudden panicked burst of comm chatter and I have to put a hand to my ear to try to make sense of the babble. Something about the Republic's air defense cannon, and remote control stations. My blood turns to ice when I realize what they're going on about. The Seps have broken in to one of the Republic's communications relays and sliced the big air defense cannon down the coast. They have control of it now, and can aim it at anything they want. I can hear the low roar of an approaching engine and I spin around, heart in my throat. I know what that sound means. A Republic troop transport is dropping down towards the Fort's spaceport, banking slowly to align its bulk with the proper landing pad.

I grab my communicator, keying in one of the Republic channels. I'm shouting into it before I'm even sure it's connected. "Turn that transport back! The Seps have control of the cannon; they're going to shoot it down!" A burst of static cuts me off, and I'm not sure if my message has gone through or not.

The cannon is moving, swivelling with slow malevolence to track the transport across the sky. My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms, but I barely feel it. The first pulse of energy washes across the transport's tail, making the massive ship wobble in the air. Whoever's running the thing adjusts their aim and tries again. The next volley of blasts rakes the ship from stem to stern.

An explosion erupts amidships, a bright blossom of fire. It starts a chain reaction, fireballs bursting out of the crippled ship in a horrifying cascade. Dark, oily smoke trails behind the transport as it starts to list to port. I can hear the engines screaming as the crew fights to save her but she's shedding altitude too fast. I can't do anything but watch as the ship heels over and crashes into the bay with the force of a bomb blast.

The sea erupts in a vast plume under the impact of the bow, hissing into steam as the burning wreckage plunges deeper. I can hear the tortured scream of metal shearing apart. It's a good-sized ship. I'm probably watching two or three hundred people die out there in the water. Fort Garnik is boiling like a nest of ants. Troops race back and forth, soldiers scrambling into armour, officers organizing rescue squads. I doubt they're going to find any survivors.

I can't watch any more. I turn away, gritting my teeth. Down on the landing pad, I can see Skavak talking to someone. The stranger has his back to me, but it must be the freighter's captain. Skavak is gesticulating broadly, pointing to the ship and then the air. It's only then that I realize they didn't know what just happened. The landing pad is tucked into the hills. They won't have seen the transport get shot down, and they won't know that the Seps will probably shoot at anything that takes off. They probably heard it, but blaster fire and explosions are all too common on Ord Mantell these days.

I'm running before I even realize I'm moving, pounding down the twisting, dusty path to the hangar. My rifle, slung over his shoulder, clatters against my armoured backplate and bangs into the backs of my legs as I skid down the last few feet and leap up onto the duracrete landing pad.

Skavak looks up at the sound of my boots, instinctively going for his pistol before he realizes it's me. "Skavak!" I pant, taking a big gulp of air and trying to slow my racing pulse. "The Seps! They've taken the air defense cannon. They just shot down a Republic transport." I swallow down a fresh wave of horror. "Captain," I say, turning to the other man. "You can't take off. They'll shoot at anything that launches."

I get my first good look at him and I feel like I've been punched in the gut. I can't catch my breath, and it's not just from the run down from the ridge. The captain is tall, a couple of inches taller than me. He's got pale skin, probably from spending all his time on a spaceship. But there's a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, so he must see the sun sometimes. His short, spiky hair is a coppery brown, and his eyes a rich green. He's got a scar across the right one, slicing down from his forehead to his cheek. It looks like it was made by a knife and I wonder what happened.

He sets his hands on his hips, which only draws my attention to the way his brown leather jacket emphasises his broad shoulders. His white shirt stretches tight across his muscular chest. Get it together, Riggs, I think to myself. This isn't the time or the place.

"You got a name?" he asks, giving me a once over. Stars, having him look at me like that isn't helping.

"Corso Riggs," I say, and he sticks his hand out for me to shake. His grip is firm and warm, his skin very pale against mine. I can feel calluses on his palm and fingers. He's no stranger to hard work.

"Arkanesh Vere'k," he responds. "Pleased to meet you." Is it my imagination, or does his hand linger in mine for just a moment? I swallow hard, turning back to Skavak to try to regain my equilibrium. He's probably not even interested, I tell myself. Not that I would know what to look for anyways. I hope I'm not blushing.

I quickly turn my attention back to Skavak, who's watching me closely. Did he catch me checking the captain out? No, he's probably just worried about the Seps. I know he wants out of here; he's always talking about it. He's never liked Ord Mantell. I sometimes wonder why he's even here.

I met Skavak through Viidu, the wily old merchant I work for. Well, I say merchant. While he's got a number of legitimate business enterprises, he's also got a bunch more under the table, so to speak. The man is a scoundrel through-and-through, but I like him anyways. He gave me a job when I had nothing. Just as a labourer in his warehouse, but credits were credits back then. I made friends with a couple of his guards and they taught me how to shoot and wrestle. I was good at it, and Viidu noticed, so I got a promotion.

It was still another year before I found out about the _other_ side of his business. I guess they don't let the new guy in on the stuff that could get them all arrested until they're sure they can trust him. But that's when I met Skavak. He brought Viidu a shipment of cloth - or so I thought. It was actually Whyren's Reserve, a rare, expensive Corellian whiskey. Just one crate of the stuff could have bought half of Drelliad village.

Skavak never spent much time on Ord Mantell. He was Viidu's favourite errand boy, and he was generally in charge of making sure Viidu's shipments arrived on schedule. I got to know him a little when he was around, though. He considered himself quite the ladies' man and for some reason, women fell all over him most of the time. I couldn't quite figure it out. He was a pretty smooth talker, but it all sounded fake to me. He was well-travelled, though, and could spin a good story. And there was the aura of danger that he carried with him. He had a jagged, swirling tattoo coiled around his right eye and down the side of his face. He had a hundred different stories about it, and even I didn't know which one was true. The girls just ate it up, though. I don't think I ever saw him spend a night with the same girl twice.

"Blast it," Skavak is saying, pulling my mind back to the present. "I'm not getting stuck on this dirt ball." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder at the freighter. "Help me unload, Riggs. Captain, even your fancy flying won't help you if the Seps really do have that cannon. If you want to launch, you're going to have to get it out of their hands."

"What do I need to do?" Arkanesh asks, eyes intent on Skavak.

"They've got some remote control stations around," Skavak says. "They're probably using those to transmit the signal to the cannon. If you can torch enough of them..." he spread his hands and the captain picks up on his meaning.

"They won't have the signal strength to keep the Republic from taking it back from them." Skavak nodded. "I can do that. What am I looking for?"

Skavak gives me a look and I remember I'm supposed to be unloading the blasters. I hurry for the ship while Skavak pulls out his datapad to show the captain the layout of the village and a holo of one of the control relays. I take a quick look back over my shoulder before I climb into the hold, letting myself admire the tightness of Arkanesh's pants. I blush when I realize what I'm doing, and duck in through the door.

* * *

Arkanesh is gone when I come out of the ship with the first crate braced on my shoulder. Skavak is at the terminal, frowning as he taps away at the screen. "Hey," I call over to him. "You gonna help me with this?"

"Yeah," he replies distractedly. He doesn't even look up from what he's doing. "Just give me a minute, okay?"

I have no idea what he's up to, but I'm not his boss. Still, he had better not make me unload everything by myself. I said I'd help, not do it all. I set the crate down along one wall and head back to the ship for the next one.

I've just stepped on board when I hear a commotion back in the hangar. There's shouting, then blaster fire, and an explosion nearby. I snatch for Torchy, my trusty blaster, and stick my head out through the hatch.

Separatists are streaming into the hangar. I count at least a dozen, and I can't see Skavak. I duck back into the ship and grab my holo. Skavak had given me Arkanesh's holo frequency a few days ago, and I quickly punch it in. I probably could have called Viidu to send some of his people, but with any luck the captain is still close by. He hasn't been gone long.

He's distracted when he answers the holo, and I can hear something sparking in the background. He smiles when he recognizes me and I can't help but smile back. "Corso," he says. "I just disabled the computer terminal that was running the signal blockers. I'm on my way back."

"Better hurry, Captain," I say, keeping my voice low. "Seps have hit the hangar. We could use another gun." I hear movement behind me and whip my head around. It's Skavak, blaster in hand. "Good, you're okay. We need to get the hangar door closed." He keeps coming, face unreadable. "Skavak?" I glance back at my holo. Arkanesh is watching me closely. His eyes widen and he opens his mouth to shout a warning. I turn as fast as I can, just in time to catch the butt of Skavak's blaster with my cheekbone.


	2. Chapter 2

_M/M slash in later chapters. Please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for **clicketykeys** but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. This is from Corso's POV._

* * *

I'm half sitting up when I come to, and someone's bending over me. I jerk backwards, but I'm propped up against a wall and I've got nowhere to go. The whole left side of my face is throbbing and my vision is blurry.

"Corso?" I catch a flash of concerned green eyes. Arkanesh. He crouches beside me and grasps my chin gently in his long fingers to turn my head to the side. His skin is very warm. He's peering at my cheek, prodding carefully at it with his other hand. A flash of pain shoots across the side of my face and I hiss. He drops his hands quickly and I miss the contact. "What happened?"

"Skavak," I spit. Talking hurts. I reach up and run my fingers over my cheekbone. I don't think it's broken, but it's swollen up and hurts like blazes. I feel wetness under my hand. I'm bleeding. Arkanesh is watching me closely and I wipe my fingers on my pants. He holds a hand out and helps me up. I stumble a little, still feeling dizzy, and he steadies me. Stars, he's close. He smells of grease and scorched metal and exhaust fumes, and something musky and spicy under that. I like it, and it's hard to want to move away. He doesn't step back either.

A sudden roar startles us both apart. I grope for the corner of the wall to keep upright as the hangar spins in front of my eyes. Arkanesh is moving now, running for the landing pad and yelling. The engines of his ship have fired up and Ord Mantell's relentless dust blasts over us as she lifts off the pad. I get my feet under me and make my way over to him. He's practically vibrating with anger, watching that scum take off with his ship.

He turns on me suddenly, his eyes so intense that I take a step back. He grabs my upper arms to stop me. He's strong, fingers gripping my biceps tightly through my sturdy jacket. "What happened?"

"I was in the ship, unloading. I heard shouts and blaster fire, and saw the Seps in the hangar. I thought they had broken in, but I think Skavak let them in. He was doing something at the computer while I was working." I grimace, shaking my head. "Then I called you, and he clocked me one. I can't believe I trusted him!"

Arkanesh lets go of me and scrubs both hands through his hair, leaving part of it sticking up. I want to reach out and fix it, but bite my lip hard instead. I've never met someone that affected me like this. Even the first time I had a crush on a guy hadn't been this strong. I don't even know him.

"How could you not know he was working for the Seps?" Arkanesh sighs, pacing angrily and watching the distant shape of his ship shrink away and vanish.

I shake my head. There are way more important things right now than my libido. "He's smooth, Captain. I've heard him with the girls at the cantina. Even when I knew he was flat-out lying it sounded like the truth." I rest my hands on my hips, then look down in shock. "Torchy! That scum stole my blaster." Arkanesh is looking at me strangely, and I realize a blaster must not seem too important to a guy that just lost his ship. "She's too good for him," I finish lamely, thinking of all the hours I had put into that gun. She was an antique, but she was one of the best pistols I had ever owned. I'd even had some custom parts made to replace ones that were worn out. She'd never let me down. And now some thieving Sep dirtbag had her. At least he left me my rifle, but the loss of Torchy stings.

My holo is laying on the ground near the wall where Skavak had dumped me. "He's not getting away with this," I growl angrily, stabbing in the code for Skavak's frequency. "Come on, pick up!" I yell, just before his figure swirls into view above my hand.

"Corso! My naïve friend. How's your face? You have a little something..." He twirls a finger in the air beside his cheekbone, pantomiming the blood I can feel slowly trickling down my face. I glare at him and he turns, catching sight of Arkanesh beside me. "And Captain! This tub handles like a drunken dewback, but..." He dips in an exaggerated bow. "On behalf of Ord Mantell's glorious freedom fighters, thank you for your blasters, and your ship."

Arkanesh draws a breath to respond angrily but I just shake my head wearily. "He's cut the channel. He was always good at making an exit." I tuck the comm away again and look up at the captain. His jaw is clenched and he's so angry he doesn't seem to know what to say. "Come on," I say, taking a step away and pausing to encourage him to follow. "Let's go see Viidu. Skavak and I were both working for him, and he won't be happy to know that scum was with the Seps all along. He might be able to help."

He nods curtly, unclenching his hands with an effort, and follows me out of the hangar. I lock it behind us, even though there's nothing left to steal. Skavak had even taken the one crate I'd managed to unload before he turned on us.

The road between the landing pad and the village is pitted with craters. A series of barricades sit just outside the tiny spaceport, with a handful of the local militia crouched beside them. There's fresh blood splashed on the ground, seeping slowly into the dusty road bed. A covered body lays in the shadow of one wall. I swallow hard and jerk my eyes away. I know all these boys. I don't want to ask.

Arkanesh follows my eyes and I feel his hand come to rest on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze. I nod to him and keep walking.

I pull the captain into cover behind one of the barricades. Blyes is there, jabbing a finger at his communicator and scowling. "What's up?" I ask him, crouching next to him.

He scowls, but I know it's not directed at me. I've worked with him a lot over the past few months. "Blasted Seps. Do you know what they've pulled now?" I can feel the captain tense at my back, but I doubt Blyes knows what happened in the hangar. "They've deployed snipers," he spits, waving a hand out towards the hills. "Bloody _snipers_. We can't counter that."

"They keeping you pinned down here?" Arkanesh asks.

Blyes flicks his eyes over the captain, noting the blaster at his hip and the scar over his eye. Arkanesh has an air about him of a man who knows what he's doing. "If only. No, they're watching the road to the Fort. We're pretty safe here, but anyone heading up that way..." He shakes his head.

"Do you guys head up to the Fort much?" Arkanesh asks, noting their mishmash of gear. It's clear these guys aren't Republic military.

"No, not much. We usually just holo them if we've got intel for them." Blyes grimaces, his face contorting with anger. "It's just... they're shooting at civs! Refugees trying to get to the Fort are getting their brains blown out by these idiots. But they won't listen to us and stay here, because here's not any safer."

Arkanesh rears back in surprise, anger hardening his features. "Let me get this straight. These sons of rontos, who pretend they're fighting for this planet's freedom, are shooting their own people? Unarmed civilians?" He scowls darkly, his hand fisting on his knee. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing them."

He grins, hard and feral, and I feel a matching expression on my face. "Let's do this, Captain."


	3. Chapter 3

_M/M slash in later chapters. Please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for **clicketykeys** but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. This is from Corso's POV._

* * *

Arkanesh is incredibly nimble, scrambling up the steep hillsides like he was born to it. I'm hard-pressed to keep focused on the climb when all I want to be doing is watching the way his muscles move under his tight pants. I bite the inside of my lip and force myself to concentrate. It's quite a fall if I lose my grip.

Above me, Arkanesh scrambles up over the lip of the ridge and then his hand is reaching down to help me up. I grip his wrist and he leans back, hauling me up the last couple of feet. We both pause at the top, panting softly as we catch our breaths, and look out at the valley spread below us.

The spaceport and Drelliad village are behind us and to our left. Fort Garnik is straight ahead, with the road snaking along the base of the cliff we've just climbed. It twists through a series of jagged hills, but we're above it all. Arkanesh scrambles forward, hopping over crevasses and dodging boulders and I tag along behind him, rifle out. I don't think we're in danger of finding any Seps up here. We scoped it out pretty good from the ground and didn't spot anybody. I guess they didn't want to put the effort into the climb when they could hit their targets just as well from the lower hills.

Arkanesh has stopped ahead of me. He motions for me to approach and I do so quietly. He stretches out on his stomach under a low, scrubby bush and I wiggle in beside him. He points down and I see three men in a tumble of boulders ten feet below us. One of them has a sniper rifle, and the other two have rifles. They're talking and laughing, their voices carrying easily up to us.

"Did you see that last one?" the one with the sniper rifle laughs. His blond hair is pulled back in a messy tail and his nose is sunburned. "It was like a ripe melon. Pow!" His hands shoot outwards, pantomiming an explosion. The other two men laugh with him. I feel Arkanesh tensing beside me.

He turns his head and presses his lips to my ear. Despite the danger and the anger coursing through me, I feel a shiver at his closeness. "I'll take the sniper, if you can keep the other two off me," he whispers, a bare breath of air against my cheek.

I nod, not daring to look at him. He's so close that I'm sure my lips would brush against his if I turned my head. I can still feel his breath on my skin and I swallow convulsively. His lips touch my ear again but he doesn't say anything. I have to bite my lip when he pulls away. This is _really_ not the time or the place.

Arkanesh squirms slowly out from under the bushes and I shift carefully to bring my rifle to bear on the Seps below us. They're making enough noise that any sound we make is covered. I'm trying really hard not to listen to what they're saying.

I feel fingers grip my ankle. "Ready?" Arkanesh murmurs from behind me and I nod, flicking the safety off. I take aim at the nearest man. He's got brown hair, cut short, and is wearing a pair of goggles with tinted lenses but he has them pushed up on his forehead. They're not doing him any good up there - he's squinting against the sun. He doesn't seem real smart.

I hear a faint scuff from behind me, then Arkanesh takes two running steps and launches himself off the ridge. That was _definitely_ not what I was expecting. He hasn't even drawn his pistol. He's got a vibroknife in his right hand and I can hear it hum to life as he lands on the sniper. The man shrieks in surprise and pain before Arkanesh's knife cuts through his throat. There's a bright splash of blood and the sudden silence is deafening.

I shake myself out of my surprise and squeeze the trigger as Goggles starts to move. My blaster bolt catches him right in the face. I'm swinging my rifle to my next target before he even falls. The other Separatist, a young dark-skinned man with a shaved head and a series of pale tattoos on his scalp, is lifting his blaster to take a shot at Arkanesh. The captain is too far away to close the distance with his knife, and the tattooed man is already squeezing the trigger.

My rifle bucks against my shoulder, but the tattooed Separatist fires before the bolt hits him. He collapses in a heap but Arkanesh is down too. His vibroknife clatters to the rocks and he's down on his knees. One hand is pressed to the sun-baked stone to support him, and the other is curled protectively over his ribs.

"Captain!" I jerk myself free of the clinging branches and skid down the steep cliff. I nearly fall but somehow manage to make it down without breaking my neck and crouch beside Arkanesh. My hands hover over him, not sure what to do. "Are you okay?"

"More or less," he grits out and I cautiously settle one of my hands on his back. "Help me up."

I let him sling his free arm over my shoulder and pull him to his feet. He hisses and straightens up as much as he's able. "Let me see," I tell him, pushing his jacket open. There's a hole burned through it, and his shirt beneath, but the blaster bolt looks like it just skimmed the left side of his ribs. A red stain is spreading across his white shirt. "That doesn't look good," I tell him.

"I've got a kolto patch," he says, blood-stained hand fumbling at one of his pockets. I maneuver him down to a seated position a few feet away from the bodies so I have both hands free. I blush a little as I dig into his pants pocket but I find the plas-wrapped packet and hand it to Arkanesh. I push his jacket open again and carefully pull his shirt up. The skin around the wound is an angry red and Arkanesh hisses as I try to wipe away some of the blood with my hand.

"Sorry," I whisper, but he shakes his head.

"Do what you've gotta do," he grunts. I take a quick look up at his face. He's pale, but determined. "Grab my knife," he says, gesturing for his fallen vibroblade. "My shirt's ruined. Use that to clean it up."

I nod, scrambling for the blade. It's sharp enough that I can just use it as a regular knife. I slice the bottom couple of inches away and fold it into a thick pad, then carefully wipe at the blood still seeping from the wound. "Hold this," I tell Arkanesh, grabbing his hand and pressing the cloth against his ribs. He hisses but holds it in place while I wipe my hands on my pants and tear the kolto package open. It's a self-adhering bandage with a dose of kolto in it, and it's just barely big enough to cover the whole burn. I tug his hand aside and press the bandage into place quickly as blood wells up again. I smooth my fingers around the edge of it, sealing it to his skin, and pull his shirt carefully down over it. It's a bit short now, with a few inches of the hem missing, but it doesn't look too bad.

"Thanks," he grins faintly up at me and I smile back.

"No problem." I let him relax for a few minutes, cleaning his knife and handing it back to him, then going to collect my rifle and the sniper's gun. I rifle through their pockets but don't find anything of interest.

Arkanesh has put the blade back into his ankle holster and has his head tipped back against the rock, eyes closed. He looks tired and pale, but he glances up at me as I approach. "What next?"

I sling my rifle over my back and crouch down next to him. I prop the sniper rifle across my knees and pat the barrel gently. "I take this up there," I jerk my thumb at the cliff to my left. "And see if I can't find the rest of them before they can hurt anyone else. Then I get you to a proper doctor. The kolto will slow the bleeding, but you need to see a medic."

He chuckles faintly and pats my knee. I like the way his fingers linger there. "I'm not going to argue with any of that. I'll cheer you on from down here."

I grin shyly at him and dare to pat his hand quickly. He fumbles for my fingers and gives them a squeeze before letting go so I can climb back up to the ridge. I think about the feel of his hand on mine the whole way up.

I settle back into the same spot as before and shift some rocks around so I can brace the sniper rifle in front of me. I adjust the scope and peer through it. It could use calibration - the whole gun needs a good cleaning, really. I hate when people don't take proper care of their tools.

The other snipers are about as well-hidden as the one Arkanesh had killed. I see two more between us and the Fort. The advantage of height makes me pretty certain of my count. I don't see any other places where a man might be properly hidden so hopefully there's only the two of them. These two seem to be alone, unlike the first one. That's good, because I don't think I can shoot fast enough to get more than one at a time. I'm a good shot, but I'm not an experienced sniper.

I wiggle a little and pull a sharp-edged rock out from under my hipbone, then press my eye to the scope and line the first shot up. This man looks like a pro, dressed in tan and brown clothes that help to conceal him against the rocks he's hiding in. I don't have much to shoot at, but he needs to keep his head visible if he wants to look for targets, so that means I have one too.

I breath out slowly and tighten my finger on the trigger. The shot echoes off the rocks a fraction of a second after I see the man's head explode in a spray of red in my scope. I wince a little, even though it's no worse than what I did to Goggles a few minutes ago. I swing the gun around quickly, looking for the last one.

The man is an idiot. He's half-standing, leaning out of cover to look towards the other sniper's spot. I line him up quickly and pull the trigger. My shot catches him in the left eye and he falls backwards out of view.

I slide back down the cliff and nod to Arkanesh. He breaks into a grin and holds out a hand for me to help him up. "Nice work," he says. I wrap my hand around his wrist and haul him to his feet as gently as I can manage. He still hisses with pain but there's not much else I can do.

I leave the sniper rifle there - I hate to do it but I can't really carry two guns and still help him; it would be way too awkward. Arkanesh hooks his right arm over my shoulders and I wrap my left one around his back and grip his hip. "Ready?" I ask him and he nods, jaw set determinedly.

I go as carefully as I can, but every step jars him. He grunts occasionally but doesn't complain. I try to take as much of his weight as I can and soon we're both panting and dripping with sweat. "Need a break?" I ask him, swiping a hand over my face.

He squints up the roadway. "Are we even close?"

"Sorry, Captain," I say and he grimaces.

"Keep going," he says. "I already feel like I've got a target painted between my shoulders. I don't want to stop."

"I know how you feel," I mutter, shifting my grip on him. The muscles in my left arm are shaking from the strain but if he's not going to stop, I won't either. It seems like an eternity later before we come around the last curve and I can see the bulk of the Fort above us. The dusty road widens and turns into poured duracrete slabs that form a broad courtyard, then a durasteel walkway zigzags up the hill to the walls of the Fort.

I hear a shout from above us and squint upwards. A soldier is waving at us from the barricades in front of the open gates, then he cups a hand to his mouth. "Are you all right?"

Arkanesh rolls his eyes at me and I have to stifle a laugh. "Captain Vere'k was shot by Separatist snipers," I call back up to him. "We need a medic."

"Stay there," the soldier replies. "We'll come down to you."

I shuffle Arkanesh over to a boulder at the side of the road and sit him down. We both groan quietly. He hunches over and tries to catch his breath, while I massage the kinks out of my left biceps. I keep a careful eye on the activity above us. I can see three - no, four - soldiers, and a man wearing a medcorps arm badge. They make their way slowly down towards us. The soldiers at the barricades have their guns trained on us. I don't like it, but I understand. They don't know us, and it could be a trap.

I hold my hands up to show them they're empty once the soldiers and the medic get closer. "I'm Corso Riggs. I'm with the militia. This is Captain Arkanesh Vere'k. The Drelliad spaceport was attacked by Separatists and his ship was stolen. We were on our way here, but Blyes told us there were snipers in the hills. We took out three of them, but the captain was wounded."

One of the soldiers is talking on his communicator and studying something on a datapad, then nods to the medic. I suppose they've got my info on file, and Arkanesh must have had to file a flight plan. They probably have holopics of both of us.

I step out of the way of the medic and he crouches in front of Arkanesh. "I'm Doctor Aden Frost. Tell me what happened."

I notice Arkanesh is light on the details and doesn't mention leaping off the top of a cliff. The doctor nods absently as he rolls up Arkanesh's shirt and peels the kolto pad aside to examine the wound. "You need a dermal regenerator." He waves to one of the soldiers and the man comes forward with a folding stretcher. "And you've lost a lot of blood. You shouldn't have moved him," he says sternly to me.

Arkanesh meets my eyes and then turns back to the doctor. "It was either that or chance the Seps finding me. Blood loss is easier to fix than a blaster bolt to the brain." The man frowns but doesn't respond, busying himself with the stretcher. He gets Arkanesh arranged to his satisfaction and activates the repulsor unit. The stretcher levitates smoothly to hip-height and Doctor Frost taps the control box. He and the soldiers head back up to the Fort, Arkanesh's stretcher floating in their midst, and I trail along behind them.

I feel pretty useless when they take Arkanesh straight for the med building. I'm not allowed in with him, so I'm left cooling my heels in the waiting room. At least they give me a kolto shot that fixes my bruised cheekbone but I guess I'm pacing and fidgeting too much because one of the nurses behind the desk finally asks me to wait somewhere else. I tell her to let Arkanesh know I'll meet him in the cantina and hurry outside.


	4. Chapter 4

_M/M slash in later chapters. Please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for **clicketykeys** but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. This is from Corso's POV._

* * *

Avilatan's Rest is quiet at this time of day. Most of the soldiers are on duty, so it's just me and a couple of locals. It's cool and dim inside, and I slide into a seat at the bar. One of the bartenders pauses in front of me, a pretty green-skinned Twi'lek woman in a low-cut top. I guess the soldiers like it, but it just seems to me like she might get chilled in here. She flashes me a smile and leans towards me over the bar. "What can I get you?"

"Something to eat. What's the special?" She leans back a bit and rattles a few things off, but nothing sounds particularly appealing so I pick something at random. She brings me a mug of beer and I take it to a table in the corner to wait for my meal. I can't stop looking at the door every time it opens - which isn't all that often - to see if it's Arkanesh.

I'm almost done my food when he finally walks in. He's moving a lot better, and he smiles when he spots me. He's got his jacket done up almost to his throat but there's skin showing there, and through the blaster hole on his ribs. They must have had to sacrifice his shirt when they were treating him. I take a quick swig of my beer to moisten my suddenly dry mouth. _Down, boy,_ I think. The captain has just gotten out of the hospital. He doesn't need me panting after him.

Arkanesh settles into the chair opposite mine but the Twi'lek is there before either of us can say anything. She's a shameless flirt, actually stroking his cheek with one of her lekku as she asks him what he'd like. I can feel my fingers clenching around the handle of my mug. Arkanesh smiles up at her and I quickly look down at my plate. _There, see?_ I tell myself. _He's not interested. Get over yourself._

I don't know what it is about Arkanesh that's affecting me so strongly. I've known for a few years that I was interested in guys, ever since one particularly memorable night in the cantina in Drelliad village - before it was bombed out when the Seps took over, of course.

One of my buddies had just turned nineteen, so we'd taken him out to get totally plastered for the first time - well, the first time legally, at least. It wasn't like any of us had _actually_ waited. But it was nice to be able to go to the cantina instead of raiding our parents' stashes or sending older brothers to buy it for us.

Kett had an older sister, all dark skin and lush curves and long, long legs. Yalla didn't usually spend any time with us boys, but she had come out to celebrate her little brother's birthday. For some reason, she had taken a liking to me and had sat with me most of the night. We were both more than a little buzzed when they finally kicked us out at closing time but I offered to walk Yalla home. Kett had already been carted off by a couple of the other guys when he had finally passed out, and it wasn't safe for a lady to walk home alone.

She had smiled at me and taken my arm. She was very warm where she was pressed up against me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out her intentions, but I blame all the drinks. It wasn't until she had pulled me into an alley and pushed me up against the wall that I finally had an inkling, but I was still surprised when she kissed me.

Her tongue was in my mouth and her hands all over me, but I was mostly just confused. I'd never thought much about girls, but not all the guys I hung out with were completely girl-crazed so no one really gave me too much grief about it. It was a couple of minutes before she pulled back in confusion. She had one of her hands down my pants and I blushed hard.

"Guess you're not interested," she murmured against my ear, voice low and throaty. "Too bad. I'd have given you a night to remember. I bet you'll make some boy really happy someday, Corso." She kissed me again, softly, and disentangled herself from me. I'm ashamed to admit I let her walk home alone while I stayed in that alley, confused and blushing, but definitely not turned on at all. Her words bounced around in my head but I mostly managed to forget them by the time I had sobered up again.

It wasn't until I met Theran - Corporal Theran Rekerr, that is - that I remembered them again. He had been stationed at Fort Garnik a couple of months after that disastrous encounter with Yalla. I had met him in the Avilatan's Rest cantina one night. I'd made friends with a few of the soldiers and had been invited to join them for drinks. Theran had been sitting alone, the curse of the new guy. I had eventually migrated to his quiet corner after having to bow out of the sabacc game before I lost all my credits.

He was exactly my height, with skin a shade darker than mine and black hair cropped short in a military style. He was fascinated by my dreadlocks and when he shyly asked to touch them I had gotten a bolt of arousal so startling that I had nearly jumped out of my chair. Instead I had swallowed and nodded. His fingers were gentle, and then soft on my skin when he had tentatively stroked over my cheekbone.

Between his duties and my work with the burgeoning militia, we didn't get to spend much time together but at least I had my first real kiss. I hadn't really kissed Yalla back at all, so I guess it didn't count. We didn't get enough warning when his unit was redeployed to have a proper goodbye, but I still remembered him fondly and got the occasional letter from him. He was married now, to a sergeant in another unit, and he had sent me one of their wedding pictures. His new husband had dreadlocks too, and I had grinned to see it.

Arkanesh kicks my foot lightly under the table, startling me out of my thoughts. "Everything okay? You were a hundred light-years away."

I give him a small smile. It's not his fault. Maybe when this war is over I can try somewhere new. There are a lot of other planets in the galaxy. There should be someone out there for me. "Sorry. Been a long day." I realize my mug is empty and lift a finger to request another. "You all fixed up?"

"Yeah, thanks." His foot is still resting against mine but I tried to ignore it. It's a small table, and he has long legs. And nice legs. I try to stop thinking about them, but I'm not really successful. "The doc said I should rest, though. Is there anyplace to stay here?"

"There's a few rooms upstairs that they rent, I think," I tell him, wondering at the odd look of disappointment that crosses his face for a fraction of a second. But then the Twi'lek woman is back with my drink and Arkanesh's meal and I forget about it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Here's the slash! It's M/M, please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for **clicketykeys** but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. Oh and you have her to thank for the nickname at the end. ;) This is from Corso's POV._

* * *

Arkanesh is drinking a bit more than I think he should be after just getting out of the medbay, but he's ordering drinks for me too and I'm a little buzzed. The evening rush comes and goes, the swirl of soldiers and noise never quite penetrating the little bubble of silence around our table. It's late when he finally asks about a room, and he stumbles when he stands.

I'm up fast, helping to support him even though my legs aren't quite steady either. "Shoulda taken it easy on the beer, Captain," I tell him, only slurring my words a little. The walk back to my bunk in the spaceport is going to suck, especially since I'm in no state to watch for Seps right now. I wonder if I shouldn't get a room here too. I resolve to get Arkanesh into his bed first, and then ask if they've got another room available.

"I've got a name, Corso," he mutters, leaning hard on me as we stumble up the stairs together. I'm not quite sure how we don't end up in a heap back in the bar but I'm relieved when we reach the landing at the top. Arkanesh fumbles with the key card for a few moments before we realize we're at the wrong door and collapse against each other, giggling drunkenly. He's got his face in the crook of my neck and parts of me are beginning to take an interest at the feel of his breath against my skin.

"Come on, Captain," I say, heaving him upright.

He shakes a finger more or less in the direction of my face. "Arkanesh. Or I'm going to come up with a completely ridiculous and embarrassing nickname for you."

I laugh. "Okay then, Arkanesh." He smiles at me, swaying closer, and I have to grip his arms to keep us both from falling over. "I think that one is your room." I point and he follows my finger with his eyes, then his whole head. He trips over his feet and crashes hard into the doorframe but it's finally the right room and the door hisses open. I maneuver him inside and fumble for the lights. The room is small and bare, with just a double bed, table, and a single chair. An open door leads to the 'fresher. There's no window.

I steer Arkanesh over to the bed and dump him on the side of it. He's still got his arm wrapped around my neck and nearly topples me over onto him. I brace my hands on the bed on either side of his hips and try to pull away but suddenly his mouth is on mine, hot and hungry. I'm startled, but my body takes over and I'm kissing him back, tongue sliding along his, pressing against him.

His hand is in my hair now, the other one fumbling at the clips for my chestplate and I gasp and break the kiss. He looks up at me in confusion. "Corso?"

I'm breathing hard, my whole body on fire, and it's hard to think with all the blood in my body making a beeline for my groin. "Cap... Arkanesh," I say, trying to clear my head. His hand is still tight in my hair and I'm hunched over awkwardly. "What... I mean... why... I don't..." I can't get a full sentence out. I don't even know what it is that I'm trying to say.

He draws back carefully and I miss the feel of his hands on me. "I thought... Did I read you wrong, Corso? I thought I was getting signals that you might be interested," he says, voice very quiet.

I nearly laugh. If he knew how much time I had spent staring at his ass today, he wouldn't be wondering if I was interested or not. "I am," I admit, feeling a blush heat my cheeks. "It's just... You're drunk, and I don't... I'm not..." I bite my lip hard, noticing that his eyes fixate on my mouth. I lick my lips and his pupils dilate. "I don't know what I'm doing," I finish in a whisper.

I'm still hunched over him awkwardly and one of his hands comes up slowly to trace along the line of my jaw. I shudder under his touch, a gasp bursting from my lips. He groans, cupping my jaw and pulling me into another searing kiss. My legs wobble and I drop to my knees beside the bed, lips still locked with his. His fingers slide around to the back of my neck and then up into my hair again, and his tongue teases my lips apart.

He tastes like beer and spices. I cautiously curl one hand around his biceps, feeling the muscle jump under my fingers. He breaks the kiss this time and both of us are breathing hard. "Stay," Arkanesh murmurs against my lips. "Stay here tonight."

A bolt of lust shoots through me and I nod wordlessly. His fingers are back on my armour clips and suddenly I need to feel more of him. The zipper of his jacket parts easily and then my hands are on his skin. He's warm against me as I let my hands explore the curve of his ribs and the muscles of his abdomen. I like the contrast of my darker skin against his.

He tosses my chestplate aside with a clatter and pulls at my shirt, trying to get it up and off but my rifle holster is in the way and we have to pull apart. His lips are parted slightly and his green eyes are intent on me. He stands carefully and helps me up, reaching around to tug at the gun harness. His lips press against my ear. "You're gorgeous, you know," he whispers. "I want to see all of you, touch every inch of you. You have no idea how much I want you."

I moan and my knees wobble again. I have to clutch at his shoulders to keep upright. Theran and I hadn't done much more than kiss, even though some of those had been pretty intense. Neither of us had any privacy in our quarters - he lived in the barracks with the rest of his squad, and I was sharing a bunk room with three other militia members - so I had never seen him naked. I want what Arkanesh is offering - I'm probably the last guy in the militia who's actually still a virgin - but I'm still nervous and I don't really know what to do next.

"Corso?" Arkanesh asks quietly, waiting until I meet his eyes. "You can say no," he says, though I can see in his face he's hoping I don't.

"No... I want this. You. I want you." His gaze is so intense that I have to look away to keep my composure. "It's just... I..." I trail off, blushing furiously.

His arms slide around me, pulling me in for a careful hug. "You're a virgin, aren't you?" he asks quietly in my ear. I blush even harder and nod fractionally. "You can tell me to stop any time," he says, voice rough in a way that makes my groin clench. "Corso, I want you. But I don't want to hurt you or pressure you." He takes a deep breath and leans back to look at me. His pupils are blown wide and I can hardly see any green left in his eyes.

He wants me. This gorgeous, confident man wants _me_. I shift slightly and can feel his erection pressing against mine. I'm so hard it hurts and I tilt my head up to kiss him again. He groans against my lips and I reach down to grip his hips tightly. The beer is helping. I'm not over-thinking this. I just know I want him, and he wants me, and we have all night.

His hands are behind me again, tugging at the straps holding my rifle to my back. I squirm against him to try to wiggle out of the harness but I finally have to break away to fumble with the buckles. He's grinning and trying to help me, our fingers tangling together. We're mostly just getting in each others' way and we finally start laughing. He grips both of my shoulders and pushes me back slightly. "You do it. It'll be faster."

His eyes are sparkling at me and I'm finding it hard to concentrate but I finally manage all the buckles and hook the harness over the back of the chair, making sure my rifle doesn't bang against the ground. I unclip my backplate and toss it to the ground beside the table, kicking my chestplate out of the way too. Normally I'd never be this rough with my gear, but the durasteel panels can handle it. I'll just spend a bit more time on it tomorrow to make up for it.

When I turn back around, he's unbuckled his thigh holster and set it aside, so I do the same with mine. His ankle sheath is next and I set my vibroknife on the table beside his. "Any more weapons I should know about?" I ask him breathlessly.

His eyes crinkle when he grins at me and he starts laughing suddenly. "Oh the things I could say to that, Corso," he says. I don't get it at first but then I do, and a hot blush races up my face. His hands cup my cheeks and he pulls me in close again. His lips against mine are soft, until I let my fingers drift to his hips and then up under the edge of his jacket. He groans and kisses me harder, tongue delving into my mouth. My fingers tighten convulsively on his sides and his hands slide to my waist, pushing my shirt up my chest. We have to break the kiss so he can pull it over my head and toss it aside. He presses his lips lightly to mine and then kisses his way across my cheek, lingering over the pattern of scars there. "What are these from?"

"Shrapnel," I tell him, shivering as he licks softly along the parallel lines. I don't want to get into details, not now. "What about this one?" I free one hand from inside his jacket to stroke my thumb across the scar over his right eye.

"I got into a disagreement with a client who thought I'd be better-looking without my face."

I press my lips against it, kissing down his forehead and over his eye to his cheekbone. "I have to side with you on that, I think."

He lets his eyes drift closed, a faint smile on his face. "Flattery will get you anything you want," he says, and suddenly his smile is a smirk. He shrugs out of his jacket and wraps his arms around me. His skin is burning hot against mine. I bite down on his bottom lip and he gasps my name.

Suddenly we're falling, his arms around me pulling me down onto the bed with him. I land half across him and kiss him hard. My hips are rubbing against his, drawing groans from both of us. I'm about ready to shoot already, and we've barely done more than kiss.

"Pants. Off." He tugs hard at my waistband with one hand, and then reaches in between us to fumble with the button. His fingers brush across my straining erection and I gasp, arching down hard against his hand. "Corso... stars, I want you so badly." He's looking at me with wide eyes, then he grasps my hips and pushes me back. "Up. Stand up." It's hard to peel myself away from him but I do, scrambling backwards off the bed until my boots hit the floor. He's kneeling in front of me a second later, one hand on my hip to keep his balance and the other yanking at the laces on my boots. "How many knots do you have here?" he asks, laughing.

"Sorry," I say sheepishly. "I don't want to worry about them coming undone when I'm in the middle of something." I try to bend over to untie them but I'm still dizzy and I almost fall. I end up having to sit down on the chair to fumble them loose and Arkanesh unbuckles his boots while I'm still struggling with mine. Alcohol and need are making my fingers clumsy and Arkanesh has his off long before me.

"Come here," he says with a smile, stretching a hand out to draw me over to him. He's sitting on the edge of the bed again, shirtless and with his feet bare. The blaster burn from earlier is nearly invisible now, thanks to the medic. I can't get over how pale his skin is. I let him take my hand and slowly trail the other one over his chest.

He has a few faint scars, and I rub my thumb over one of them. It's a smooth, flat circle about an inch across, high on his shoulder. "What's this one from?" I ask and feel him tense up under my hand.

"I'll tell you later," he says, shaking his head. I let it drop. Everyone's entitled to their secrets. If he doesn't want to talk about it, I won't push.

He draws me closer and presses his lips against my stomach. I groan and he lets go of my hand so he has both of his free to work on my buttons. He leans up and licks one of my nipples and I make a completely embarrassing sound. He laughs but there's no malice in it. He gives me a pleased smile and does it again. I moan and work a hand into his short hair to try to keep my balance.

He licks across my chest to my other nipple and I feel just a hint of teeth. I'm so distracted I don't notice he's finally got my pants undone until his hand wraps around me. My hips jerk forward and I clutch at his shoulder hard. Stars, I'm so close already. He shoves at my pants, pushing them down to my knees and I rock into his fist. His free hand slides around to my ass, getting a good grip, and then he's licking his way down over my abs and then his tongue is on me and then his mouth and I can't seem to think any more.

I think I'm talking - babbling more like - but I don't have the faintest idea what I'm saying. Arkanesh's mouth is hot and wet and he's pulling me in deeper, harder, faster, until I shout and shoot hard. He catches me when I collapse, pulling me onto the bed with him and curling around me. I can feel him pull the rest of my clothes off and toss them aside but I can't bring myself to care. He doesn't say anything, just keeps pressing slow, hot kisses to my neck and shoulder and chest until I can get my eyes open again.

Arkanesh is watching me, one hand tracing slow patterns across my chest and stomach. "Hi," he says softly and I smile shyly at him.

"Hi," I murmur back, turning my head to meet his lips when he leans in. The kiss is slow and languorous. "That was..." I shake my head, trying to find the words to describe it. "Wow."

He chuckles, kissing the corner of my mouth and flicking his tongue gently against my lips. "Thanks. You're pretty 'wow' yourself, you know. They grow 'em big out here, eh?" He grins at my blush and then kisses me again, deeper, and I realize that he must still be hard. I roll towards him and he meets me halfway. I press my hand to his hip and slide it slowly around to the front of his pants, which look uncomfortably tight. He sucks in a sharp breath and I flick the button open with my thumb.

"I don't really know what I'm doing," I mumble as my fingers slowly unfasten his pants. I can't quite bring myself to look at him when I admit this.

"I figured." His voice is a little strained. "It's okay. I'm so close right now it probably won't matter. There'll be time for experimenting later." He grins breathlessly and pulls me up for a kiss when I finally get my fingers around him.

He's hot and hard in my hand. I can feel his pulse throbbing under his skin and I swallow his moan when I tighten my fingers and stroke experimentally upwards. The kiss is sloppy and messy and his hips are jerking in time with my movements. He grunts into my mouth and his hips still suddenly. He makes a truly astonishing noise as he spills over my fingers, clinging tightly to me.

I keep moving my hand slowly until he falls back against the bed to catch his breath. I've recovered enough that I can stumble to the 'fresher without too much trouble. I get myself cleaned up and bring him a cloth. He smiles a thanks and squirms out of his pants, a maneuver that gets a stirring of interest down below. He wiggles under the blanket and pulls me in next to him for a long kiss. He reaches over beside the bed for the lights, plunging the room into darkness except for the faint glow of the safety strips along the doorframes.

"Get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to be busy tomorrow." I squirm to get comfortable and he flings a long arm over my chest and pins one of my legs with his. "Can you sleep like this?" he asks against my shoulder, voice a little hesitant. I get the feeling he'd like me to say yes. His eyes look sad, though I think he's trying to hide it. He's been so confident so far that it's never occurred to me that he might be lonely.

"Never tried it," I admit, reaching up to lace my fingers with his. "But I'm willing to give it a shot."

His smile is soft and relieved. "Thanks, Corso. Just give me a shove if you need me to move."

"Good night, 'Kanesh," I tell him.

He blinks up at me in confusion, then smiles. "Kanesh, eh? I kind of like that. But now I need a nickname for you..." He trails off with an impish sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh, no!" I tell him with a laugh. "I promised to stop calling you Captain, and I did. I held up my end of the bargain!"

"I suppose," he grouses. "Fine then. Go to sleep."

I'm nearly out when I hear him murmur in my ear. "Good night, Big Riggs."


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay, apparently I wasn't done with these two yet. ;)_

* * *

Something wakes me in the middle of the night. I try to sit up and reach for the blaster I always keep beside my bed, but there's a heavy weight on my chest and I can't reach. I stretch my arm out, but can't find my bedside table, let alone the blaster. I can hear noises, close by, but I can't move.

There's a soft gasp beside me, a choked voice muttering words I can't understand, and suddenly I remember. Arkanesh. I'm in a room in the cantina, with Arkanesh.

He jerks beside me, rolling over and dragging half the blankets with him. I can just barely see his face in the glow of the safety strips around the doorframe. He's frowning, brows drawn together, muttering incomprehensible words and phrases. One hand is balled into a fist and the other lifts like he's trying to push something away. Nightmares. I can understand that.

"Kanesh?" I say softly, but he doesn't seem to hear me. I call his name a little louder, rolling towards him and touching his shoulder gently. His eyes snap open and he throws a punch at me. It's weak and uncoordinated and I manage to duck the worst of it, but still mutter a curse as his fist catches me above the ear.

"Corso?" he asks in confusion, pushing himself up on his elbows to look down at me.

"Hi," I say, rubbing the side of my head absently.

"Did I punch you?" He looks embarrassed.

"Not very hard." He straightens his arms, dropping his head back onto his pillow with a grunt. "Nightmares?"

He nods, turning his head to look at me in the dim light. "Yeah, sorry."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

His mouth twists wryly. "Not really." I can understand that. I'm not sure there's anyone in the militia who hasn't had a nightmare or two. We usually try to forget them as quick as we can when we wake up. "Sorry I woke you. And sorry about..." He waves his hand vaguely towards the side of my head. "Go back to sleep."

"It's okay, really." I prop my head up on my hand and look down at him. "Are you going to be able to get back to sleep?"

He shrugs. "Maybe."

I roll onto my stomach and throw an arm across his chest. I kiss his shoulder before resting my head on it. "Try. I'll stay here, if you want me to."

He lifts his hand and laces his fingers with mine. "Thanks, Corso." My eyes are already getting heavy again, so I let them slide closed. I fall asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat under my ear.

* * *

The bed is empty the next time I wake up, but the door to the 'fresher is closed and I can hear someone moving around in there. I roll onto my back and stretch, the sheet slipping down my chest. It feels like it's properly morning this time, even though there's no window where I could check the sun, and my datapad is across the room somewhere. Wherever my pants are.

I reach up to brighten the lights a bit as the door hisses open. Arkanesh is framed in the doorway, naked. I feel a stirring of interest below the sheets, and notice a corresponding twitch in him as his eyes roam over my chest. "Now that's a nice view," he murmurs, sauntering slowly towards the bed so I can look my fill.

I sit up when he gets closer and grab his hand. He follows easily when I pull him down against me for a kiss. "Good morning," I say against his lips.

"It is indeed," he replies, straddling my hips and pushing me down flat to the bed again. He braces his hands on either side of my head and kisses me again, sliding his tongue into my mouth. I shiver at the slick heat of it and arch up against him.

"Kanesh," I moan softly, wrapping my arms around him. I stroke my fingertips over his back and down slowly. He shifts against me, breathing faster and pressing open-mouthed kisses along the side of my neck as my hands cup his ass and squeeze. The tight muscles there clench under my fingers and he bites down on my collarbones.

"Do that again," he whispers against my skin, so I oblige him. My fingers massage firmly, exploring the taut curves. He's definitely enjoying, based on what I can feel pressed against me. So am I. It's nice to have the time and the space to do this. With Theran, any groping we managed during our make-out sessions was hurried and through several layers of clothes.

He squirms against me, making me moan, and then he's pulling the sheets aside and his skin is on mine. I gasp and arch up at the feeling. I can't believe how warm his skin is. I can feel sweat spring up where we're pressed together, which is pretty much everywhere.

"I want you," he whispers against my ear. "I don't care if I'm in you or you're in me, but I need to feel you, Corso."

I blink up at him, a slow blush spreading across my cheeks and down my chest. I know what he means; I've watched a few holos before. I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I don't know which to choose. Arkanesh has lifted his head so he can watch the slow swirl of thoughts cross my face, then he dips down to kiss me.

"You top," he murmurs against my lips, taking the choice in his own hands. One of those hands slides down between us and I gasp at the feel of his fingers around me. "I want to feel this in me."

I groan, my mind unable to focus on anything past how good this hand feels on me and the mental images his words have conjured up. I rock my hips up slowly as he deepens the kiss, then hook a leg around his and roll him over to pin him under me. He grins up at me and licks his lips and I nip gently at his tongue. "Show me what do to," I say shyly, ducking my head when I feel myself blushing again. This is getting ridiculous.

Arkanesh seems to like it though, stroking his thumb over my flushed cheek. "Let me up. There's some lotion in the 'fresher."

I roll off him, groaning at the loss of his fingers around me, though I appreciate the view as he moves away. He's back quickly, a small bottle in his hand. He tosses it to me and I pull the stopper out. I was worried it would be flowery-smelling but it actually doesn't smell like much at all. I guess it makes sense, since they never know who'll be renting their rooms and some people wouldn't appreciate smelling like flowers.

Arkanesh settles back down beside me, taking the bottle and dripping a generous amount of the lotion into my palm. He presses the stopper back in and tucks the bottle against the headboard so we won't lose it. "Relax, Corso," he laughs softly and I realize how tense my shoulders are. He closes a hand over mine, massaging my palm gently and smoothing the lotion over my fingers. Once they're well-coated, he hooks one leg over my hip and leans up to kiss me. He nudges my hand downwards and I trace it slowly along his spine. He arches up against me, panting. "Just go slow. One at a time. I'll tell you when I'm ready for more."

I'm too turned on to be blushing now. I'm as hard as I was last night, which is saying something. I reach both hands down, one wrapping around the curve of his ass and gripping tight, and the other sliding slowly down his cleft. He moans against my neck, pushing his hips up. I explore further, and finally find what I'm looking for. I'm surprised how much resistance there is at first but then he opens up and my finger is inside him. He's hot and tight and I can't imagine how I'm going to fit more fingers in him, let alone anything else.

He's rocking his hips up, pushing my finger deeper. I shift down a little so I can reach better and thrust carefully into him. "Yes!" he gasps, wiggling against me in a very distracting way. "That's perfect, keep doing that."

I look down at him. His eyes are screwed shut, his mouth open as he pants hotly against my skin. It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen.

"More," he whispers after a few minutes. It takes a bit of work - I'm afraid of hurting him - but I eventually manage. He whimpers and rocks faster against me. He's hard against my hip and I nearly shoot when he moans my name. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to last.

"Kanesh," I whisper shakily. He looks up at me, pupils blown wide, and sees how desperate I am for him.

"I'm ready," he tells me, squirming down against my fingers one last time and then lifting up suddenly. He fumbles for the lotion and when his slick hand curls around me I have to bite my lip hard to keep from shooting right then. His fingers grip tight around me and I take a few deep breaths to try to back myself away from the edge. "Corso?" he asks softly.

I look up at him and nod. "I'm ready. I need you," I tell him and he groans. I'm expecting him to move away but he just straddles my hips and presses down against me.

The feel of him around me is incredible - hot, tight, amazing. But it's the sight of him, head thrown back to bare his long, pale throat, lips parted as he moans my name, a light sheen of sweat over his smoothly muscled chest and straining thighs, that nearly undoes me.

"Kanesh!" I gasp. He's arched back, hips grinding slowly as he seats himself fully on me. He tips his head down to look at me and I can see pleasure in his eyes. He lifts up a bit and rocks back down and I'm reduced to incoherent moaning. My hands find his hips and we manage a rhythm that mostly synchs up.

I'm a little worried that my grip on his hips might be leaving bruises on his pale skin as I thrust up into him but he doesn't seem to mind. If anything, he starts to move faster on me, and then my brain melts as he slides a hand down his chest to wrap around his length. I slam up into him and I think I see stars.


End file.
